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THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF BEING MULTIPLY SCLEROSED / "Difficult" patients encountered by doctors one-fifth of the time
« Last post by agate on January 12, 2026, 08:58:36 pm »

Over the years of reading online posts by people with MS who have had bad experiences with neurologists and other doctors, I wonder if we are perceived as "difficult" patients by the doctors, or are there just "difficult" doctors?

From MedPage Today (January 12, 2026):

How Often Do Physicians Encounter "Difficult" Patients?
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THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF BEING MULTIPLY SCLEROSED / Update on bathtub modification
« Last post by agate on January 12, 2026, 06:45:04 am »
It was such a busy weekend, spent mainly trying to find out more about bathtub cutouts, that I neglected to find something to post on MS Speaks. My apologies!


The bathtub modification won't be happening after all. I have decided that the procedure is apt to be too disruptive, and the main consideration is that the fumes, as well as the fiberglass particles that would be released, aren't something I want to put up with just to make it easier (or even possible) to get in and out of the bathtub.


I am hoping that more exercise and maybe more physical therapy will make showering easier. In the meantime there are many other ways to keep clean.
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POLITICS / DOJ's letters to medical journals probing publications' partisanship
« Last post by agate on January 10, 2026, 08:34:04 pm »
From PubMed (December 31, 2025):

DOJ Sent Letters to Medical Journals. Then What Happened?
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POLITICS / NIH neurology director abruptly ousted
« Last post by agate on January 09, 2026, 08:44:22 pm »
The current US administration is continuing its relentless war on science.


From MedPage Today (December 29, 2025):


NIH Neurology Director Abruptly Ousted

Background for Dr. Koroshetz (from Wikipedia):

Quote
Walter J. Koroshetz, M.D. was selected director of NINDS on June 11, 2015. He began working at NINDS in 2007 as deputy director, and he served as acting director from October 2014 through June 2015.

  Koroshetz received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and his medical degree from the University of Chicago. He trained in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), after which he did post-doctoral studies in cellular neurophysiology at MGH and at Harvard Medical School, studying mechanisms of excitoxicity and neuroprotection. Before joining NINDS, Koroshetz served as Vice Chair of the neurology service and Director of stroke and neurointensive care services at MGH. He was a professor of neurology at Harvard and led neurology resident training at MGH between 1990 and 2007.

Koroshetz has been granted many honors in his distinguished career and is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Neurological Association.
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THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF BEING MULTIPLY SCLEROSED / Bathtub modification
« Last post by agate on January 08, 2026, 09:06:54 pm »
The HUD apartment building I live in has a provision for "reasonable accommodations"--modifications to an apartment if the resident has a medical need for them. I have applied for such an accommodation--a cutaway bathtub, which should end up looking something like this:



I had a rather bad fall a few years ago while exiting the bathtub. Since then I've been realizing that getting in and out of it is difficult because of my back and leg stiffness. I've installed two extra grab bars. I bought a special weighted cushion so I wouldn't have to drop down so far just to sit in the tub. I gave up on baths after a while and decided to enjoy showers.


There was still the problem of getting into and out of the tub.


The doctor has already done the paperwork, and so apparently have the building people. I will believe this when I see it, however, as plans for changes around here often get postponed or cancelled, usually due to budget concerns.



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THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF BEING MULTIPLY SCLEROSED / How to future-proof your knees (BBC Health Fix)
« Last post by agate on January 07, 2026, 09:08:35 pm »
From BBC Health Fix (December 31, 2025):
How to Future-Proof Your Knees
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MS - RESEARCH AND NEWS / (Abst.) Characterizing the extended language network in individuals with MS
« Last post by agate on January 06, 2026, 09:22:35 pm »
From PubMed (January 1, 2026)--"Characterizing the extended language network in individuals with multiple sclerosis":


https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41474512/
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MS - RESEARCH AND NEWS / (Abst.) Applying an ethical lens to the treatment of people with MS
« Last post by agate on January 05, 2026, 09:00:45 pm »
From PubMed (January 1, 2026)--"Applying an ethical lense to the treatment of people with multiple sclerosis":


https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41475891
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KESIMPTA (ofatumumab) / T lymphopenia in MS patients treated with ofatumumab
« Last post by agate on January 04, 2026, 09:17:19 pm »
MS drugs have their risks. This was a small study but T lymphopenia sounds as if it could be serious. From AI:


Quote
T lymphopenia is a condition where there's an abnormally low count of T-cells,, a crucial type of lymphocyte (white blood cell) that fights infections and abnormal cells, making the immune system weaker and increasing susceptibility to illness. It's a specific type of  lymphopenia (low lymphocytes) and can stem from genetic issues, severe viral infections (like HIV, COVID-19), autoimmune diseases, malnutrition, or treatments like chemotherapy, leading to recurrent infections.
\


From Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Clinical (January 2, 2026)--"T lymphopenia in MS patients treated with ofatumumab":

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20552173251409954
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MS - RESEARCH AND NEWS / Commentary on whether remyelination therapies are achievable in clinical practice
« Last post by agate on January 03, 2026, 04:10:48 pm »
From Multiple Sclerosis Journal (January 2026)--the "Commentary" section of a two-sided debate in the same issue on the topic "Remyelination therapies are achievable in clinical practice":


https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13524585251396267
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